Issue 20

GP CHOICE, CARE AND YOUNG PEOPLE, TRANSPORT POLICY, GDPR COMPLIANCE, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH

Welcome to Issue 20. We hope you enjoy this week's articles - we are interested in similar contributions from others in differing policy areas. In the next issue we will have a focus on health in Scotland so if you have a perspective you would like to share on this or another theme please contact us. As always, we welcome comment and contributions. Please contact us if you would like to discuss advertising in or writing for a future edition at scottishpolicynow@mackayhannah.com. Issue 21 will be published in two weeks' time and fortnightly thereafter.

General Practitioners are often a patient’s first and only contact with the NHS in Scotland. However, unlike hospitals which are owned and operated by the public sector, the vast majority of GP practices are actually private sector contractors to the NHS.

As we mark the beginning of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (13th May), it is fair to say that concerns over the increasing number of people diagnosed with mental health problems have never been more prominent. It is no exaggeration when it is noted that poor mental health is acknowledged as one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

For all sorts of reasons, my stint in party politics seems like a very long time ago. One of those reasons, I suppose, is that it was! I’ve been out of partisan politics for well over a decade now, and life as a lobbyist / PR guy / commentator / analyst offers a purity and clarity of thought which is very difficult to achieve when you are ideologically encumbered by a ‘line to take’.

Maureen Falconer is the Regional Manager at the Information Commissioner’s Office in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, Maureen manages a small team who punch well above their weight in providing advice and guidance to Scottish stakeholders.

Care experienced children and young people face huge barriers in many aspects of life. In education and employment, they are significantly disadvantaged. These disadvantages are compounded by the negative stereotyping society applies to them and added pressure around housing, crime and family. In this article, Martin Dorchester, Chief Executive of Includem, explores some of the main challenges facing young people today.